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St Gabriel's Secondary School
Explore the history of St Gabriel's Secondary School.
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School History
St. Gabriel’s School was established on 1 June 1953 with 212 students in five classes from Primary One to Standard Two. The students were taught by eight teachers including the acting director of the school, Reverend Brother Louis Gonzaga.
Reverend Brother Elzear became the first director of the school on 3 May 1954. In 1958, the enrolment increased to 970, with 640 students in the morning session and 330 students in the afternoon session. In the same year, the school became a full school with the first Secondary Four class. In 1969, St Gabriel’s split into primary and secondary schools. The primary school moved into new premises at 2 Highland Road with an enrolment of 1,350 boys. The secondary school became single-session, located on Upper Serangoon Road.
In 1984, Mr John Teo became the school’s first lay principal, ending a line of clerics who have led the school honourably. In 1990, the school had its first and only female principal, Mrs Ng Peng Hock. With the increasing enrolment, the school soon needed larger premises. A piece of land at Serangoon Avenue 1 was subsequently identified for the location of the new campus. The school moved into the new building at the end of 1992.
St. Gabriel’s celebrated its golden jubilee in 2003. The year also marked a physical change in the school: A big portion of the Tien (天) building was demolished, and the school moved into a new wing.
Principals:
- Rev Bro Louis Gonzaga (1953, 1956–1957)
- Rev Bro Elzear (1954–1955)
- Rev Bro Raymond (1957–1958)
- Rev Bro Adolphus (1959–1960)
- Rev Bro Emmanuel (1961–1962, 1970–1974)
- Rev Bro Noel (1963–1969)
- Rev Bro Edmund James (1974–1983)
- Mr John Teo (1984)
- Mr Harold Mathieu (1985–1986)
- Mr Andrew Ng (1987–1989)
- Mrs Ng Peng Hock (1990–1996)
- Mr Winston Hodge (1997–1998)
- Mr Adolphus Tan (1999–2004)
- Mr Marcel Lee (2005–2012)
- Mr Stephen Chin (2013–2020)
- Mr Shawn Lim (2021–present)
Key Milestones
key milestones
1953 | Establishment of St Gabriel’s School. |
1958 | Became a full school with primary and secondary sections. |
1960 | First batch of students took the Senior Cambridge examination. |
1969 | Separation into primary and secondary schools, with the secondary school operating in a single session. |
1992 | Relocation to new premises at Serangoon Avenue 1. |
2003 | Celebration of golden jubilee. |
2004 | Moved into a new wing and a large part of the Tien (天) building is demolished. An astroturf field and a multipurpose hall are built in place of the demolished wing. |
2015 | SG50 dinner with invitees that included two of the seven founding teachers. |
2016 | Demolition of the old school gate. A replica was built in the new campus to commemorate its heritage. |
2018 | Sealing of time capsule, which is to be opened in 2053. Unveiling of the Old Cross rescued from the old gate. |
School Motto
Labor Omnia Vincit
Latin for ‘Labour Conquers All Things’
Hard work embodied in diligence and perseverance leads one to achieve greater things in life. It can thus be said that in whatever you do, do your best.
School Crest
The centrepiece of the school crest is the coat of arms, which has four quadrants. The top-left quadrant has the letters ‘A.M.’, which stands for ‘Ave Maria’, with a lily flower. This was the greeting of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the beginning of the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer. According to St Louis Marie de Montfort, wisdom can be attained through living a life of gentleness and authenticity, modelled after Mary the mother of God.
The bottom-right quadrant has the letters ‘D+S’ with a cross. ‘D.S.’ is the abbreviation for ‘Dieu Seul’, which is French for ‘God Alone’. ‘God Alone’ is the all-motivating force in the life of St Louis Marie de Montfort. To him, God is the centre of his life, and in everything he does, God is foremost for him. For St Louis Marie de Montfort, all knowledge comes to nothing if one does not know God. Thus to know all things but not to know God is to know nothing at all.
The top-right quadrant features a sailboat at sea. It symbolises the struggle and mortification in life. Much like the ship at sea, one emerges the better if he or she is able to weather through the storms of life. No problem is too great to overcome and it is in perseverance and resilience that one shall be able to face the difficulties in life.
In the bottom-left quadrant are the star and the man in the boat. This symbolises the Star of the Sea, which seamen use for navigation in the vast ocean. If one is focused on the essential values of life, he or she can reach the ultimate destiny in life. The Star of the Sea is the guiding light in life.
The crest is adorned with green olive branches, which is derived from Ancient Greece, symbolising peace and prosperity. It is one’s duty to promote lasting peace in the world. Coupled with peace is prosperity, which connotes not only the generation of wealth but also the integral development of human society.
At the bottom of the crest is the Latin motto, ‘Labor Omnia Vincit’.
School Song
In white and blue, boys full of mirth and life
From early morn, we flood the green playground
In every hall, soon starts the daily strife
Of school routine, lessons and work all round
With spirits bright, our will we’ll gladly bracing
From teachers kind we learn what’s good and right
We thus do hope to attain with God’s blessing
Virtue and Truth, Virtue and Truth
Of life’s true beacon light
Saint Gabriel’s School Dear
Here willing hearts behold
When duty’s call rings clear
‘Mid sorrows as through joys
For Singapore and God
For justice to uphold
Let us live and thus prove
Saint Gabriel’s boys